1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of processing wheat flour that without detriment to processability, may improve the palate feelings and flavor thereof; processed wheat flour obtained by the processing method; and food utilizing the processed wheat flour.
Wheat flour is widely utilized in the filed of food as main raw material of breads, noodles, confectioneries (cookies, biscuits, cakes, pies, pretzels and the like) and snacks.
Any of the mentioned foods are made mainly from wheat flour, for which reason the quality of wheat flour greatly affects the palate feelings of foods. There is an issue that the mentioned foods have wheat flour-specific powdery feelings and poor meltability. Wheat flour-specific protein or gluten is an ingredient taking a major role in secondary processability of wheat flour, and therefore, it is an essential ingredient to make the mentioned foods. On the other hand, however, it is a hydrophobic protein, which likely generates powdery feelings and the like.
2. Description of Related Art
On the other hand, as for a method of alcohol treatment of foods, the treatments of nuts, rice, wheat flour bran and the like are known at present. In the conventional method of the treatment, it is essential, at the time of alcohol treatment or alcohol elimination, to involve high-temperature heating (e.g. Patent Reference 1), or to further use water (e.g. Patent Reference 2).
However, in case these methods are applied for wheat flour, there is an issue that gluten in wheat flour is deactivated by heating and secondary processability of wheat flour is lost, or wheat flour forms dough by addition of water to wheat flour and subsequently process to the other various forms becomes difficult and the intended improvement of palate feelings is not achieved.
As mentioned, the conventional method of alcohol treatment is intended not for the process of fine powder such as wheat flour but for the process of food materials whose fundamental nature and quality are less subject to addition of water and heat such as grainy cereals and the like. Further, the object is to improve odor of the subject and to concentrate the nutritive ingredient, for which reason the method is not applicable to the process of powder having wide range of secondary processability such as wheat flour.
Additionally, in recent years, the growth of health consciousness promotes desire to use whole grain wheat flour which is rich in nutritive value. However, whole grain flour is particularly poor in palate feelings and flavor, and specifically its odor is known to be derived from aldehydes mostly contained in the bran in whole grain wheat flour, for which reason the study to improve the flavor has been being conducted. The methods of improving the flavor of bran are known, such as a method of steaming bran and then adding acid and saccharide to the bran and drying it by heating (e.g., see Patent Reference 3), a method of adding water to bran and inoculating Koji mold into the bran to be cultivated (e.g., see Patent Reference 4), a method of soaking large bran of wheat flour in water, dehydrating and drying it by heating (e.g., see Patent Reference 5), a method of adding water to bran, reacting the bran with the ferment the bran itself has, and further adding heat and pressure to the bran (e.g., see Patent Reference 6).
However, these methods are limited to be applied for the bran isolated from wheat flour. In case these methods are applied for whole grain wheat flour, there is also an issue that gluten is deactivated or significantly transformed, for which reason secondary processability of the products made therefrom is destroyed and improvement of palate feelings is not achieved.
Patent Reference 1: Unexamined patent publication No. S56-43332
Patent Reference 2: Unexamined patent publication No. S56-36898
Patent Reference 3: Unexamined patent publication No. S56-50546
Patent Reference 4: Laid-open patent publication No. S57-105153
Patent Reference 5: Laid-open patent publication No. S62-32849
Patent Reference 6: Patent publication No. 2997082